By Bertrand Gahel, National Post

Originally published: February 7, 2013

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George, South Africa – Motorcyclists can become an emotional lot when a model they’ve grown attached to goes under the knife. What will “they” do to it? Can “they” really improve it? Like “they” don’t know what they’re doing…

And so it is that BMW finds itself in this delicate spot in 2013 as it unveils an all-new version of its unanimously praised and best-selling R1200GS.

The big GS is one of the sport’s brightest icons and, much like a Harley-Davidson or Porsche 911, very particular rules apply when progress must happen. No. 1 of those rules is you don’t mess with the original formula. BMW obviously followed that one because to the untrained eye, the new R1200GS looks just like the model it replaces.

But, make no mistake, the Munich company is offering an all-new motorcycle for 2013, starting with a totally redesigned engine. While the signature Boxer Twin layout remains, the engine’s architecture itself is entirely new. For example, the clutch is now located at the very front of the cases and is infinitely more accessible than it was before, at the back of the engine. The transmission is now built into the engine cases rather than mounted separately. The intake and exhaust systems are now vertical rather than horizontal; and cooling, while retaining air as the major coolant element, now relies on water rather than oil as a secondary/stabilizing element. The net result is a significantly more compact motor generating 125 horsepower, 15 more than its predecessor. Add a longer swingarm, new subframe geometry, new “semiactive” suspension, wider tires front and back, ABS technology that is basically the S1000RR’s, new electronics with a choice of three Street and two Enduro modes, and what you’ve got is indeed a total makeover of the GS.

Swing a leg over the new bike, hit the new starter button and what you see, hear and feel is pure GS: the throaty rumble of a Boxer twin, the torque effect that slightly pushes the bike laterally when the throttle is blipped. And the rugged, purposeful instrumentation, the wonderfully balanced riding position, the intelligently sized windscreen are all elements of the big GS’ DNA that remain reassuringly present.

And yet, this is an undeniably improved motorcycle, which in itself is a feat considering how refined and well-behaved the previous model was. There were no 2012 R1200GSs on hand during the model launch to confirm this with back-to-back comparison, but my finely calibrated butt muscles tell me this is both a significantly lighter steering and faster GS. The lack of resistance when initiating a turn is shocking and leads me to believe the new engine’s lighter internals offer notably less inertia. Combing such a characteristic to clearly stronger power and to even more planted and precise handling results in one particularly inviting twisties-devouring vehicle.

But tarmac-related qualities are only half the story, as the GS is all about its ability to seemingly switch from pavement to dirt. There’s something that truly embodies freedom about a motorcycle capable of venturing off the beaten path and there may not be another full-sized model that does this more naturally than BMW’s big GS. It doesn’t do double jumps — or singles, for that matter — but with a bit of skill and good tires, the GS can dig surprisingly deep off road. One aspect this makeover hasn’t changed, however, is how tall and heavy the GS feels on a tight dirt road. There’s just no way around it; the GS is a handful in those conditions. But get out in the open where it can stretch its legs a bit, and it all makes sense again, especially with the help of the new electronics.

I’m personally not a huge fan of endless riding modes and electronic nannies, but once in a while, a combination of features comes along that is anything but a gimmick. The Enduro Pro mode is one of those. It deactivates traction control to let you slide at will and combines the amazing efficiency — even off-road — of the S1000RR-derived Integral race-ABS with the very logical idea of allowing the rear wheel to be locked up if the rear brake pedal is used. All of a sudden, electronics become an ally off-road instead of a hindrance.

The motorcycle BMW created by rethinking the R1200GS is exactly, and I mean down to the last detail, the bike it should have been. Some called the previous GS the best adventure motorcycle on the market. As far as I’m concerned, what we have here is the best motorcycle in the universe. Turns out “they” do know what they’re doing after all.